


Good Morning, Sunshine

by cherryblossomphil



Category: Phandom/The Fantastic Foursome (YouTube RPF)
Genre: 5 Things, Established Relationship, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-04-19
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-03-24 18:00:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,346
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3778129
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cherryblossomphil/pseuds/cherryblossomphil
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dan can count the number of times he's woken up before Phil on one hand.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. I

Dan doesn’t know where he is for a second.

He blinks sleepily, eyes adjusting in the weak sunlight that’s streaming through the curtains. He’s not in his room, he knows that much; there’s green and blue wallpaper peeking through the dozens of posters and drawings taped up – a stark contrast to the beige walls he’s used to. Dan can see clothes – some his, some not – strewn across the floor. There’s a heavy weight draped across his side, and he looks down to find a pale arm slung over his body.

Dan’s heart nearly skips a beat, memories from the previous day rushing back. The train ride to Manchester station, where Phil had hugged him with so much fervor he’d picked him up off the ground. The dinner at the Skybar, where he’d spent half the conversation just staring at Phil in awe, mind unable to comprehend the fact that his favorite youtuber was there, in the flesh, and looking at him with so much affection he could barely breathe. The ride up the Manchester eye, where he’d turned to ask Phil to point his house out and suddenly they were kissing, his hands fisting through silky black hair as they hung 200 feet in the air. The trip back to Phil’s place, where they stumbled into an empty house and nearly fell down the stairs, clothes peeled off before they even got to the bed. He’s definitely not in his room.

It’s surreal, being somewhere he’s only seen through fuzzy videos and low-quality photobooth pictures. It’s like he’s on the set of his favorite TV show, familiar with the layout after watching every video three times over, yet discovering small details he hadn’t noticed before; the black stain on the carpet from when Phil had dropped his hair dye the previous year, the worn fabric of his yellow plaid button up that’s more threadbare than the rest of his plaid shirts from constant use. It’s exciting, knowing that he’s getting his own private tour, one that he knows many of Phil’s fans would die for. He’s still not convinced he’s not dreaming.

The arm across his waist shifts, followed by a soft grumble. Dan turns his head to see Phil still asleep, messy black hair covering his eyes. They’re huddled together, Dan’s bare back flush tight against Phil’s chest, and he can feel the other boy’s breath on his neck. Phil lets out another soft snore, and Dan’s heart melts.

Slowly – ever so slowly – he moves, adjusting so that they’re facing each other, heads mere centimeters apart. More sunlight streams into the room, basking the both of them in its warm glow. Dan can count every dark eyelash that flutters with each breath Phil takes. He can see the small freckles that dot his arms, the few strands of chest hair that peek out from underneath his low-cut shirt. Phil’s shoulders, normally so broad, are still hunched over from when he was curled up behind Dan, almost as if he had wanted to wrap himself around the other boy in every possible sense during the night. Dan’s eyes are drawn to the fullness of Phil’s lips, chapped from overuse and parted slightly.

A bright ray of sunshine hits the bed, illuminating Phil from behind. Dan can’t help the quiet gasp that escapes his lips.

He is so beautiful.

Phil stirs at the sound, a low moan Dan’s only warning before bright blue eyes blink open. Dan doesn’t even bother to hide his staring, holding Phil’s gaze as the other boy comes to.

“Hey,” he whispers, pushing the black fringe from his face. Phil smiles at him sleepily.

“Hi, Bear…” He exhales slowly, lazily running his hands up and down Dan’s waist. “What’re you looking at?”

Dan shivers at the touch. “You.” Phil smiles wider, leaning in for a kiss and chuckling lowly when Dan pushes him away. “Eww, no, we both probably taste awful.”

Phil yawns. “You’re up early. What time is it?”

“I dunno…” Dan turns to grab his phone from the other side of the bed. He clicks the home button and looks at the time – 7:48am. His body clock’s still on school mode; right now, he should be taking a shower, then running down to the kitchen for a quick breakfast before taking the tube to class. But Forest School’s on holiday at the moment, and that’s why he’s here in Manchester, curled up against his best friend and listening to the birds chirp outside the window. Dan decides right then and there that this is the only way he wants to wake up from now on.

The arms around his waist tighten imperceptibly and Dan finds himself pressed against Phil's chest once more. The other boy tangles their legs together and drops a kiss onto his bare shoulder.

“Five more minutes, mmkay?”

Dan nods, placing his hands over Phil’s and stroking them lightly. “Okay.”

Phil kisses the back of his neck chastely and snuggles in, his breaths evening out once again. Dan smiles in contentment and closes his eyes.


	2. II

The hospital bed gives him a crick in his neck.

Dan cracks an eye open, groaning at the stiffness of his joints. His head is throbbing, but it’s nothing compared to the ache in his stomach. A wave on nausea hits and he exhales shakily, willing it to pass.

An old rerun of the Jeremy Kyle Show is playing quietly on the TV screen hung on the wall. It’s the only sound in the room aside from the faint beeping of the heart monitor beside him. Dan slowly lifts his hand toward it, only to freeze in shock once he sees an IV taped to his forearm. He looks down and lets out a choked sob at the sight of the many tubes attached to his body. Bile rise up his throat. He swallows thickly. He’s never felt so fragile and helpless in his life.

The door opens and Dan quickly wipes his eyes, wincing in pain at the sudden movement. From behind the bed curtain, a tiny blonde nurse appears holding a clipboard. She glances at the heart monitor and jots a few notes down. Sally, her name tag reads.

“Hello, Mr. Howell, how do you feel?”

“Like shit,” he croaks. She nods sympathetically and writes a few more things down. “What the hell happened to me?”

Dan tunes in and out as she explains his situation, grimacing as she adjusts the IV and strings up another bag of drugs. His mind feels foggy. He can’t focus on anything. All he wants to do is go home.

“Did you… uh…” he clears his throat. “Did you call my family? My mom will throw a fit if she finds out I’ve been admitted and didn’t tell her.”

The nurse’s brow furrows. “Umm, no, we didn’t actually.“ she gestures to the other side of the room with her pen. “He said he’d take care of it.”

“Wait, wha-“ Dan turns his head. Slumped over in one of the tiny visiting chairs is Phil, head tilted back and eyes closed. He’s still wearing the same clothes from the day before, button-up wrinkled and creased. His legs are sprawled out in front of him, too long to be tucked beneath the seat. Phil’s arms are crossed, and Dan can see the worry lines etched on his face even as he sleeps.

“Been here all night, he has.” Sally murmurs, moving to check the various tubes that are in his body. Dan glances back at her. “Normally we’re not allowed to let guests stay past visiting hours, but –“ she nods her head towards Phil’s direction and smiles fondly. “None of us wanted to wake him up. Bloody worried about you, that’s for sure. Wouldn’t stop pacing, kept asking us to check and make sure you were doing alright.” She winks at Dan. “I’d keep him around if I were you.”

Dan fidgets as she pokes and prods at him, but his gaze returns to Phil. His heart aches at the sight of him. The other boy’s anxiousness and fear is evident even in slumber. Dan feels a rush of affection course through his body; Phil had saved him. He’d come running when Dan called, and stayed when Dan hadn't even asked him to. He’d kept watch, put his own responsibilities and obligations on hold to be there for Dan when he woke up.

If Dan hadn’t loved him before, he sure as hell loves him now.

“All done,” The nurse says, pulling away and grabbing her clipboard off the bed. “Your vitals seem good, and everything’s looking normal, but I did give you some more morphine to help ease the pain. Get some sleep; the doctor will come in later today and brief you two on any care and safety instructions you might need.”

“Thank you,” Dan replies, smiling at her. She nods warmly.

“If you need anything, just press your buzzer.” Casting another glance at his heart monitor, she turns and walks away, shutting the door behind. It closes with a loud click, breaking the quietness of the room.

Out of the corner of his eye, Dan sees Phil spring to life.

“Huh- wha-?” The other boy rubs at his eyes, groaning as his body reacts to the consequences of his awkward sleeping position. Dan can’t help but let out a quiet giggle.

“Good morning, sunshine.”

“Hmm? DAN!” Phil’s eyes go comically wide. He drags his chair over to the bed, ignoring the loud squeaking sound of the wood scraping against the tile floor. Phil grabs his hand and presses it against his cheek. Dan can feel the stubble against his skin. “I thought I’d lost you,” he murmured sadly, blue eyes looking up to meet brown.

Dan rolls his eyes fondly. “You spoon, don’t be so dramatic. It was just some stomach issues.”

“Well, yeah, but still.” Phil fixes him with a hard stare. “Never do that again, Bear. Nearly gave me a heart attack when you called.”

“Just trying to keep you young, that’s all,” Dan replies, flipping his hand so that he can cup his cheek. Phil leans into his touch. “Hey, Phil?”

“Yeah?”

Dan swallows, overcome with emotion. “Thank you.”

Phil looks at him quizzically. “What for?”

“For staying with me. You didn’t have to, you know.”

The other boy tuts at him, reaching up to intertwine their fingers together. “Dan, of course I did. Why wouldn’t I?”

Dan shrugs. “I dunno. But still. Thank you.” He bites his lip and takes a deep breath. “I love you.”

Phil freezes, eyes widening slightly. His mouth drops open in shock before he shuts it firmly and swallows. “I love you, too.”

Dan lets out a breath he didn’t know he was holding, the exhale coming out as a high-pitched giggle. Phil snorts at the sound and soon they’re both laughing, elated by the words they’ve just uttered and the unspoken relief they share over Dan’s safety. Phil leans down to kiss the hand he’s holding, pressing it against his lips before letting out a huge yawn.

“Sorry,” he mumbles apologetically at Dan’s raised eyebrow. “Been a long night. Your mother’s coming in the morning, by the way. Only took me about five separate phone calls to assure her you weren’t gonna die before sunrise.”

“Oh joy,” Dan mutters, but he’s smiling. He runs a hand through the other boy’s hair. “Get some more sleep, you’ll need it to deal with my family later.”

Phil waves him off. “It’s fine, the wall’s not that comfortable, anyway. I’ll just go grab a cuppa before they get here-“

“Don’t be silly,” Dan scoots over as much as the hospital bed and his tubes and wires will let him, patting the space beside him. Phil looks at him disapprovingly.

“Dan, I’m not sharing a hospital bed with you.”

He huffs. “Well, then at least lay your head down on it or something. It’ll be better than the wall at any rate.”

Phil looks at the cot reluctantly and opens his mouth to argue, but a huge yawn interrupts him. “Fine,” he replies, shaking his head at Dan’s triumphant grin. “But if you need me, wake me up, okay?”

“Of course I will,” he promises. Phil grabs his hand and presses another kiss to it, lacing their fingers together and propping his arm beside Dan’s before leaning forward to rest his head on mattress. Dan watches until his chest is moving at an even pace, his breath warm against his leg. He squeezes their hands together.

“I love you.”

Phil smiles in his sleep.


	3. III

“Phil, c’mon.” Dan shakes at his boyfriend’s shoulder to no avail. “Phiiiiiiillllll… babe, we’ve got the rest of the flat to set up.”

It had been absolutely torturous getting all of their things up three flights of stairs. Being dirt broke and scrawny apparently wasn’t the lifestyle London called for, and the two of them had been left to fend for themselves after discovering that no moving company fit their limited budget. Dan nearly dropped the box full of breakable kitchenware twice, and it took them 20 minutes to collect dozens of important documents after Phil had picked the up the box upside down, but eventually they got everything inside, collapsing on the floor in exhaustion.

It was Dan who suggested a power nap; a quick recharge before they tackled the arduous task of putting their piles of stuff away. Phil agreed without hesitation, and together they pulled the bare mattress into what would be officially called “Dan’s bedroom”, opening the windows to let the summer breeze in and falling asleep within minutes.

Two hours, Dan recalls, shaking his boyfriend once more. That's what they'd agreed. Two hours, then they’d get up. “Phil, jesus christ, it’s half past four already.”

The other boy lets out an exaggerated snore. Dan rolls his eyes. “Philip Michael Lester, get your lazy arse up now.”

“Fuck off,” Phil groans. Dan raises an eyebrow.

“That’s not a very ‘AmazingPhil’ appropriate word.”

“Well, I’m not feeling very amazing right now,” Phil huffs, not even bothering to open his eyes. He’s sprawled on his stomach, arm hooked around Dan’s chest. They’ve both taken off their shirts due to the heat, and Dan can see beads of sweat on his bare back. “I’m more of an ‘ExhaustedPhil’ at the moment. ‘SweatyPhil’. ‘SleepyPhil.”

“‘CrankyPhil’.”

Dan laughs as the other boy flips him off, and he scoots up the bed to sit against the wall. “Fine, you get two more minutes. I’m timing you.” He pulls his phone out and sets the clock, the sound of Phil’s faint snores filling the room once more. Dan sighs and looks around the room. They did it. They actually did it. They moved to London.

He’d be lying through his teeth if he said he wasn’t scared. They moved without a secure job in place. They didn’t know if the BBC had even listened to their radio audition yet. Money was tight enough in Manchester; Dan had no idea how they’d make do if the radio show fell through. He and Phil were both the type of people who wanted to provide for themselves, and neither of them were keen on the idea of asking their parents for help – not when they were supposedly self-sufficient enough to move to bloody London on a whim.

Still, something in Dan’s heart told him they would be okay. He wasn’t an optimist –that was Phil’s department. No, Dan was a realist. He knew that sometimes things just didn’t work out. And yet he had a gut feeling that this wouldn’t be one of those things; their radio show was good. The BBC would have to be insane if they couldn’t see that. It was fresh, it was original. It was them. And they were gonna make it.

The alarm on Dan’s phone beeps. Two minutes have passed.

“Phil, wake up.” Dan nudges at the other boy with his foot, toes pressing against the side of his stomach. Phil groans and bats his leg away.

“You’re cheating, that wasn’t two minutes.”

Dan snorts. “I’m cheati- okay, yeah, you caught me. I actually set it to a minute and fifty-nine seconds.”

“I knew it.” Phil rolls onto his side and wraps his arms around Dan’s knee, cuddling it like a pillow. “Five more minutes.”

“Three.”

“Ten.”

“Phil, that’s not how you bargain!” But the other boy is drifting back into slumber, face pressed against Dan’s upper thigh.

“Five minutes…” Phil’s voice fades away. He’s already falling asleep.

Dan sighs. “Fine. Five minutes.”

He sets his alarm for ten. Just because he’s a good boyfriend.


	4. IV

A strike of lightning flashes across his window, followed by a cackle of thunder. Dan jolts awake, hands scrambling beside him to grab at Phil, only to find an empty space.

They sleep in separate beds sometimes.

It’s been difficult; the fan’s questions have become more invasive, more personal. Nowadays, Dan can’t even walk past Phil without seeing a million gifs and photosets and fan theories on Tumblr the next morning. He knows they mean well; Lord knows the two of them have given their fans enough material that it’s almost impossible not to see their more-than-friendly interactions. Still, it’s hard feeling comfortable touching each other in private when they put so much effort in avoiding each other in public. It’s a tricky balance to achieve; one wrong move could spell disaster.

They argue now; proper arguments, not just about who ate who’s cereal or who forgot to turn the bathroom light off. They’ve screamed at each other at two in the morning and screamed the same argument again at two in the afternoon. It’s always the same fight, and they never reach a conclusion. He knows that Phil is tired to treading around each other with caution, just like Phil knows he’s tired of the constant invasion of privacy they’re subject to. They’ve come to a crossroads that they never seem to be able to escape. Instead, they slink back to their respective corners, waiting for the other to break. Dan’s never been more grateful that they decided to have separate bedrooms; it’s nice to have a place he can retreat to, a place where he can lick at the wounds left by Phil’s harsh words and reflect on the impact his own insults had on the other. But his body aches something fierce when he wakes up without Phil beside him. He doesn’t know how much longer he can take this.

Another flash of lightning illuminates the night sky and Dan gulps. Screw this fight. Screw his pride. He misses Phil. Misses the ease with which they flitted around each other. The way they’d flirt and tease each other like a couple of lovesick teenagers, even though it’s been years since that first day in Manchester. Dan misses the way Phil would be the first thing he saw in the morning and the last thing he saw at night.

Grabbing his phone, Dan opens his door and pads his way to Phil’s room, the faint light of his screen guiding his footsteps. He jumps as a loud crash of thunder shakes the whole flat and knocks lightly.

“Phil?”

No one answers. Dan exhales shakily and pushes the door open.

Phil’s room is pitch black. Dan squints as his eyes adjust. In the darkness, he makes out the other boy’s sleeping form and hurries towards him. The bed dips under his weight. Dan grabs Phil by the arm and shakes it.

“Phil?...Phil.”

“Hmmm… what?” Phil’s eyes shoot open and he groans in annoyance. “What do you want, Dan?”

Dan feels his mouth go dry. “Umm.. I just- I wanted to-“ Another rumble of thunder shakes the flat and he jumps in fear. 

“I got woken up by the thunder and couldn’t sleep,” he finishes lamely. “Can... can I sleep in here?”

Phil sits up, all traces of annoyance gone and replaced with concern. “Ye-yeah, of course.” He slides over and pulls the duvet up. Dan crawls underneath.

They lie in silence for a while, backs flat against the mattress. The awkwardness is palpable. Dan wants to say something, anything, but he can’t find the words. He feels Phil flexing his fingers underneath the covers, a nervous habit that Dan had grown accustomed to over the years. Biting his lip, he glances over at Phil and shifts closer, rolling onto his side and grabbing the other boy’s arm. Before Phil can open his mouth and ask, Dan hesitantly rests it over his waist and waits. He sees the other boy swallow hard before pulling him closer, turning Dan around so that his back is to his chest. Dan is engulfed in warm body heat, and it’s like a dam breaks inside of him. He lets out a shuddering sigh and feels himself start to tear up. It’s been too long. Too long without contact, too long without Phil. He sniffles.

Phil immediately flips him over, locking eyes with him. “Hey, shh, shh…” Reaching up, he wipes away the stray tears with his thumb. Dan presses his face into his palm. “Shh, it’s okay, I’ve got you…”

They stay like that for a while, listening to the storm turn into a light drizzle and waiting for Dan’s tears to subside. Phil’s rubbing circles into Dan’s back, and he feels himself grow sleepy.

“I’m sorry,” he whispers. Phil shushes him.

“I know you are. I’m sorry too, Bear.”

Dan closes his eyes and exhales. It’s been months since he’s heard that nickname. He snuggles closer, Phil’s arms encircling his body.

“We’ll talk tomorrow?”

Phil nods above his head, the other boy tucking his chin in Dan’s hair. “Tomorrow.”

Outside, the drizzle changes to a soft patter on the window. He feels Phil’s heartbeat slow and breathing even. Dan waits till the rain stops completely before drifting to sleep.

They were going to be okay.


	5. V

Dan throws his camera equipment into his backpack, muttering to himself and cursing his inability to wake up on time. He’s going to be late. And he even went to bed early. Typical.

He’s been busy; they both have been. It’s crazy. Never in his wildest dreams did he think he’d get to where he is now. The radio show was a shock enough – now they’ve got a book coming out and a tour in the works, opportunities coming at them faster than they can comprehend. They just finished hosting the internet portion of the BRITs for the second time, and there’s buzz that they might be the next ones tapped once Ant and Dec decide to retire from the hosting business. Not to mention Playlist, where the two of them drew some of the biggest crowds this year, and his special ‘nicer internet’ project with the BBC that was finally getting attention. And their radio show is still thriving after all these years, drawing wider audiences around the world. All while they juggled three separate channels and tried to find time to eat, sleep, and breathe.

Dan still pinches himself in shock. This stuff didn’t happen in real life; this is the kind of stuff that happened only in badly written novels, where the protagonist was showered in blessing after blessing. He didn’t even consider himself the protagonist of his own story when he was younger, much less one with this much good fortune. He’s grateful – grateful for his family, grateful for his supporters, grateful for the people who believed in him, grateful for Phil.

Especially for Phil.

Still, it's difficult having so many projects in the air. Dan isn’t complaining, but it'd be nice to take a breather for a while. Maybe he should talk to Phil about taking a holiday soon.

“Have you seen my charger?”

Dan’s question hangs in the air, unanswered. He pauses halfway through digging into his cabinets. “Phil?” He raises his head and glances over at the bed.

Phil’s still fast asleep, pale head barely visible above the black and white checkered duvet. His arm hangs over the edge, fingers dragging on the carpet. Dan can see his colored socks peeking out underneath the blanket.

Sighing, Dan makes his way over, sitting at the foot of the bed. “Hey,” he murmurs, running a hand through Phil’s hair. The other boy stirs and his eyes open, blinking sleepily up at Dan. “I thought you were coming with me today? We’ve gotta go check out that house for the promo video.”

Phil stretches his arms, groaning loudly as his back cracks. “You mind going alone? Didn’t fall asleep till seven this morning.”

Dan gapes at him as he rolls over onto his stomach, eyes falling shut once more. “Seven? Wh-Phil! What the hell did you do that for?”

The other boy reaches his hand up and grabs a camera from the bedside table. He holds it behind him and shakes it at Dan. “Watch… this. I… explain…” He yawns and buries deeper under the blankets. “Also, your charger…. is…. in my room…. “

Dan grabs the camera, turning it over in his palm. He shakes his head in disbelief. “You’re mad, you know?” He leans over and drops a kiss into Phil’s hair. “Absolutely mental.” The other boy hums in agreement.

Dan stands up, grabbing his backpack and slinging it over his shoulder. He pockets the camera and makes a mental note to stop by Phil’s room to grab his cord. “Okay, I’m off. Be back in a couple of hours.”

“’Kay,” is Phil’s muffled reply, voice thick with sleep. Dan chuckles to himself and heads for the door.

“Hey, wait.”

He turns to find Phil looking up at him, one bleary blue eye cracked open. “Yeah?”

Phil sleepily brings his hand to his mouth and blows him a kiss, his lips smacking loudly in exaggeration. “Love you.”

Dan shakes his head fondly but reaches out and grabs at the air, fingers closing around the imaginary kiss. The other boy smiles. “Love you, too. Go back to sleep.”

Phil does.


End file.
